Page 86 of Hendrix

My chest jerked at the unexpected mention of my old friend and new adversary’s name, and then it jerked again when Colt’s cell phone began to ring loudly.

He dropped into the chair at my desk, his eyes lifting to meet mine. “Ready?”

I inclined my head sharply.

He clicked on his cell phone and studied the screen. “I’m Agent Van der Cleeve. Good to meet you, Mr. Lis.”

“Agent,” a deep voice greeted. “I hoped Ania would answer.”

“She’s expecting your call but had a bad morning, so she’s with her doctors,” Colt advised. “You okay to hang fire while I check she’s okay to talk?”

“I’ll hold,” Lis muttered with an air of impatience.

Colt fiddled with his cell, then grabbed his iPad from my desk, his fingers flying across the screen. Propping it onto a holder, an image appeared on the screen of Anna, Bones, and Freya in the medical room I’d just left her in.

Her phone rang, and I watched her answer. “Hi.”

“Ready?” Colt asked.

“I’m ready,” she answered.

Colt clicked on his phone again and placed it on the desk as the iPad screen split into two, and a dark-haired dude dressed in a dark grey, well-cut suit appeared alongside Anna’s face.

I was a straight dude, but even I could see how good-looking he was. His skin was olive, and his hair jet-black. He looked more Italian than Polish and certainly had that slick Mediterranean vibe about him.

“Adrian,” Anna murmured.

“I’ve been worried about you, Ania,” he clipped out. “The family expected you to come to Antoni’s funeral.”

“Didn’t Agent Van Der Cleeve relay the circumstances?” she asked.

He sucked air in through his nose, obviously not happy at the thought of what those circumstances were. “Yes, and I’m sorry that happened. If I had known at the time, I would’ve intervened. I don’t sanction that type of behavior. Rest assured, I would’ve protected youandthe child.”

Tears filled her eyes, and my heart tugged for her. “Thank you. I wish I’d have known you better.” She gave him a soft smile. “Can I be candid with you?”

He jerked a nod. “Please do.”

“I know you were Antoni’s family, and he respected you, but we’ve never been close, so I wonder why you’ve been so determined to contact me. I left my marriage behind when Toni...” She cleared her throat. “My marriage was over before Toni was murdered, so what do you need to discuss with me?”

He stared at Anna briefly before his expression softened. “It’s not as simple as that, Ania,” he declared. “You and Antoni were legally still married when his life was taken, and you carry his heir. You carry aLis. That means something to me.”

Her eyes widened.

“Antoni and Leon hid a lot from me, but after an internal investigation, I’m satisfied you knew nothing of any wrongdoing. I want to extend the hand of friendship and invite you back to Philadelphia to reside with me during your pregnancy and after the birth of the boy if you wish. You will be safe and cared for. You have my personal guarantee that no harm will come to you under my protection.”

A low growl left my throat.

“Easy,” Colt muttered, his hand hitting my shoulder.

Anna’s forehead furrowed. “Thank you, Adrian, but I’m happy and cared for here.”

“You live in a hotel with bikers,” he argued.

“I live in a luxury hotel suite in an exclusive resort with some of the most talented ex-military personnel in the country,” Anna corrected.

“With ex-lieutenant Jameson Quinn, who you were once involved with.” Lis held his hands up. “I’m not judging, Ania. Agent Van Der Cleeve already explained you were frightened and needed a safe haven when Antoni beat you, and I understand your state of mind at the time, but I also have private security at my disposal. I can extend that to you.”

“I appreciate your offer,” she replied softly. “But I also have security.”

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